Based on inflation and our own increased production since the 50s, our living wage is supposed to be around $25 an hour! How many of us can say that we are making that? How many of us can say that we are living comfortably? That we can throw all the things we are needing in our cart, and not be nervous in the checkout line? There was a time when that was possible. When young couples getting married and starting families did not look towards the future in fear of being lost in the disappearing middle class. We the People deserve to be able to put food on the table, own a savings account, take sick days off from work without fear of debt, homelessness, and just general poverty!

The 1% has made a profit milking the working and middle class, making everyday expenses rise higher than our minimum wage can cover. With increasing minimum wage and not addressing the 1%'s gouging, we are allowing common expenses, like milk and gas, to continue to increase and void the small amounts that workers are able to get ahead.

It is time we have politicians willing to address the crimes against the poor. To go after the fat cats who are starving out the rest of the working class.

Center for Economic and Policy Research

My grandfather was a union barber back in the day. He went to his grave insisting that people have a union supporting them, and protecting their rights. I follow in my grandfather's footsteps, and fully support workers' right to form unions. Workers who unionize are much more likely to receive a living wage and proper benefits. I believe these things are not a luxury, but are the bare minimum that we need to have a successful and prosperous society! The "Right-to-work" sounds nice, but the main goal of the right-to-work movement is to prevent workers from forming unions and in effect prevents workers from receiving a living wage and benefits. I want to see a National Workers Union made up of all working People in the 99%. The more people standing up for their rights, the more power we the People can exert on the system.

We need proper benefits for workers. A Single Payer healthcare system would help bring health benefits back to an affordable rate for both employees and employers. In addition, the people deserve a real paid family leave, not only for mothers but for fathers too. "In an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the authors reviewed 43 studies on depression in new fathers. They found that prenatal and postpartum depression was evident in about 10% of men in their studies and was relatively higher in the 3- to 6-month postpartum period. We can help fathers reduce the risk of paternal postpartum depression by getting them more involved with their newborns from the time of birth." (Excerpt from "Father's Day: A father's bond with his newborn...") How can we expect a father to have proper bonding with his child, when we will not give him the time away from work to do it? The USA currently has an immoral paid family leave system. Why are we the only developed country in the world without guaranteed Paid Family Leave? Parents deserve the right to build connections to their family.